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New Member

Hello everybody! Before I go on, I would like to introduce myself. This is my very first post, but I have been visiting the site for 3 weeks now and I LOVE it. I am very excited for the iPhone and have really been saving...

Now let's get to the good stuff =) I have been asking around Apple stores and then to Cingular/AT&T stores for information on when the iPhone will come out (as we all know its a big secret), how many people have been interested, is there a waitlist, and how many iPhones there will be.

They said they know just as much as we do from the website since its just a very close secret with Apple/Cingular/AT&T...so I agree waiting till WWDC is the way to go(BUT ITS TOO FAR AWAY haha). I asked how many people have been interested and the guy answered many people so it is going to be really busy. He also mentioned that there are NO waitlists at any stores in the area...which might also mean most if not all of the stores don't have a waitlist since these stores seem to follow the same rules....And finally I asked how many iPhones do you believe there will be in each store...He said he thinks there will be at least 20 iPhones per store...Now this was a very small store in a mall...maybe 10ftX10ft...so maybe bigger stores will have more...

It sounds really reasonable...I mean if u think about it, it is a reasonable amount. I just hope I will have $599 and then the plan $$ by then...

New Member

Hello everybody! Before I go on, I would like to introduce myself. This is my very first post, but I have been visiting the site for 3 weeks now and I LOVE it. I am very excited for the iPhone and have really been saving...

Now let's get to the good stuff =) I have been asking around Apple stores and then to Cingular/AT&T stores for information on when the iPhone will come out (as we all know its a big secret), how many people have been interested, is there a waitlist, and how many iPhones there will be.

They said they know just as much as we do from the website since its just a very close secret with Apple/Cingular/AT&T...so I agree waiting till WWDC is the way to go(BUT ITS TOO FAR AWAY haha). I asked how many people have been interested and the guy answered many people so it is going to be really busy. He also mentioned that there are NO waitlists at any stores in the area...which might also mean most if not all of the stores don't have a waitlist since these stores seem to follow the same rules....And finally I asked how many iPhones do you believe there will be in each store...He said he thinks there will be at least 20 iPhones per store...Now this was a very small store in a mall...maybe 10ftX10ft...so maybe bigger stores will have more...

It sounds really reasonable...I mean if u think about it, it is a reasonable amount. I just hope I will have $599 and then the plan $$ by then...

Welcome. You seem very well informed and I am glad to have you here . Thanks for asking around and letting us know, and I did the same a couple weeks ago. I asked similar questions and got similar answers. I too believe we will hear a release date and other important details. After all , they can't too long. Or can they...

Ten days till WWDC. That isn't too long . I hope there are plenty to go around and I don't think it will be too hard to snag one on release.

New Member

I just can't believe that there are going to be lines out the door at EVERY SINGLE Apple (well, probably Apple) AND AT&T stores. there has to be cingular stores around where people won't go. even if the stores get 1 or 2, if you're guy numero uno when they unlock the doors you're the guy to get the phone. think about it...there are 1,800 AT&T stores nationwide. is there going to be a line at every single one of them? (don't answer that)

i think in this regard, steve jobs may be right. find that one cingular store that no one is going to and you're money.

one more thing. i called my local AT&T/cingular store today and he said that there was a lot of demand for the iPhone. however, what percentage of those people that were asking out of curiosity are going to actually fork over $500/600 along with an extended data and voice plan? i'm hoping not many.

New Member

I just can't believe that there are going to be lines out the door at EVERY SINGLE Apple (well, probably Apple) AND AT&T stores. there has to be cingular stores around where people won't go. even if the stores get 1 or 2, if you're guy numero uno when they unlock the doors you're the guy to get the phone. think about it...there are 1,800 AT&T stores nationwide. is there going to be a line at every single one of them? (don't answer that)

i think in this regard, steve jobs may be right. find that one cingular store that no one is going to and you're money.

one more thing. i called my local AT&T/cingular store today and he said that there was a lot of demand for the iPhone. however, what percentage of those people that were asking out of curiosity are going to actually fork over $500/600 along with an extended data and voice plan? i'm hoping not many.

I'm hoping there won't be too many people like me in my hometown. There's only three corporate AT&T stores and no Apple stores. If I can't find an iPHone at one of those three stores, I'll be ordering one online.

Member

New Member

I have a couple options. There are two Cingular/AT&T stores near me, as well as 2 Apple stores. I hope to check at the closest Cingular store the night before to make sure nobody is camping out, and hit that the next morning if I don't see a huge crowd. If there is already a crowd building up, I will go and check the Apple store. Since it is in a mall, I don't see any way that people could camp close to the store. So, a mad dash it is. Anyways, if there is already a big crowd building up near that store, as well, I will just get up the next morning and head to the other two stores (one Apple, one AT&T/Cingular). I will start with the Cingular, as I believe they open earlier. If that is too crowded, I will run over to the Apple store, which is not too far away. And if I have no luck at those four places, online it is for me.

New Member

This one could go either way. Doing online preorders can be good or bad. As long as they have a sufficient number of iPhones to go around, it would be a great idea. However, when there aren't enough to do preorders and have them available online at release, it just usually turns out badly. Then there are some people with preorders, and some who can't get them any way on release

Zealot

This one could go either way. Doing online preorders can be good or bad. As long as they have a sufficient number of iPhones to go around, it would be a great idea. However, when there aren't enough to do preorders and have them available online at release, it just usually turns out badly. Then there are some people with preorders, and some who can't get them any way on release

Member

I'd be willing to wait a couple of more days just to order online, I'm worried about supply/demand factor at the stores and I don't really want to fight the crowds but it's probably what I'll end up doing.

New Member

This one could go either way. Doing online preorders can be good or bad. As long as they have a sufficient number of iPhones to go around, it would be a great idea. However, when there aren't enough to do preorders and have them available online at release, it just usually turns out badly. Then there are some people with preorders, and some who can't get them any way on release

I have seen pre-orders offered for items with limited initial release before. They waited to take pre-orders until they knew the quantity that would be available the release day (or they estimated conservatively). Then when they had taken enough pre-orders to account for the initial release, they changed the wording on the pre-order web page to inform buyers that the first shipment was sold out and that they were now taken orders for the second shipment. This system seemed to work well. I hope Apple does something similar.

New Member

I have seen pre-orders offered for items with limited initial release before. They waited to take pre-orders until they knew the quantity that would be available the release day (or they estimated conservatively). Then when they had taken enough pre-orders to account for the initial release, they changed the wording on the pre-order web page to inform buyers that the first shipment was sold out and that they were now taken orders for the second shipment. This system seemed to work well. I hope Apple does something similar.

Yeah. This system might work, but these online preorders or even preorders in store can still end up going very badly. Take, for example, the stores that did preorders for the PS3. These stores preordered off all of their initial stock and were swamped. They weren't able to sell anymore until WAY after release. So, my point is, again, that these can be a bad choice.

Zealot

Yeah. This system might work, but these online preorders or even preorders in store can still end up going very badly. Take, for example, the stores that did preorders for the PS3. These stores preordered off all of their initial stock and were swamped. They weren't able to sell anymore until WAY after release. So, my point is, again, that these can be a bad choice.

Yeah, but the online Apple Store and At&t stores would be pulling from a different inventory than the brick and mortar stores. Of course it all comes from the same factory, but I think they could do it with enough planning.

New Member

Yeah. This system might work, but these online preorders or even preorders in store can still end up going very badly. Take, for example, the stores that did preorders for the PS3. These stores preordered off all of their initial stock and were swamped. They weren't able to sell anymore until WAY after release. So, my point is, again, that these can be a bad choice.

I agree that pre-orders are a bad idea for brick and mortar stores. I think the method I described would work well for online though. Especially of they are conservative with their projected inventory. The worst thing that can happen then is that they have more units than they sold in the first batch and a few people in the second batch would get theirs early. I don't think anyone would complain about that .

New Member

my gut feeling is that they won't do a pre-order. partly because of the AT&T memo that circulated stated the case and that it may get too complicated with inventory management (at least with the first shipment)

i also think it's marketing. what looks better for Apple, a bunch of people leaving Apple and AT&T stores hugging and kissing their iPhones or people walking away disappointed because the entire first shipment was purchased online? you know there's going to be news people at stores on release day.

Zealot

my gut feeling is that they won't do a pre-order. partly because of the AT&T memo that circulated stated the case and that it may get too complicated with inventory management (at least with the first shipment)

i also think it's marketing. what looks better for Apple, a bunch of people leaving Apple and AT&T stores hugging and kissing their iPhones or people walking away disappointed because the entire first shipment was purchased online? you know there's going to be news people at stores on release day.

There's a BIG difference between online preorders and in store waiting lists.Online preorders are already paid for and waiting lists are just lists of people that said they want one. Pre-orders will be money in the bank.

New Member

either way, I hope they keep at least on in the stores that we can go in and play with. I won't be getting one until september because of my Verizon contract, but I really want to play with one in the store to get a feel for it...